Sink and shower drains in the bathroom top the list as do kitchen sinks. In the bath, drains are subject to a build-up of soap-scum, shaving cream, and oils. These sticky residues attach to pipe surfaces and then attract other substances like hair. Over time this layer of gunk builds up thicker and thicker, slowing the flow of water which compounds the problem. Since the build-up is a slow process, it often goes unnoticed until catastrophic failure occurs and the drain ceases to work. Or this material can slough off and create clogs further downstream, eventually blocking off more drains.
In the kitchen the same process occurs but oil and grease are the usual suspects that initiate the process. Then food particles attach to this sticky residue and the build-up starts. Garbage disposal can exasperate the problem as they can emit a large amount of food wastes in a short period of time. Large amounts of food wastes decay rather rapidly and therefore kitchen drains are more susceptible to odor issues.
Once clogs form, they can be difficult to remove. As a rule of thumb, the longer it takes a clog to develop, the harder it is to remove. Homeowners usually resort to dangerous, corrosive, caustic drain opening chemicals to open up these clogs. Or worse, they will pour very hot or boiling water down the offending drain, hoping to melt the grease and open up the clog. This may work but what this actually does is move the clog further downstream. As the water cools, the grease re-deposits on the drainpipe surface. Usually this occurs in a relatively short distance. So over time the drain problem becomes a major event requiring mechanical removal by auger or worse, by digging up the line and replacing it.
United-Tech offers two products that are used to open up clogs in drainlines and preferably, prevent them from happening. BZT® Drain & Septic is the product of choice for most consumer applications. The microorganisms and enzymes in this product break up and digest organic matter. This process opens up clogs formed by oils grease, food wastes, and similar. Once clogs are removed, we suggest that problem drainlines receive routine monthly treatment to keep them open and odor free.
